A/N - After watching the season finale and the week I've had, I had to post some more. Thank for reading!

Chapter 6 - The Little Things That Get in the Way

The next few weeks tended to feel different than before. Both Lois and Clark wondered if it had been that night that had changed things. They also thought, in a way, it made a connection. Clark, though, started feeling something colder in Lois' hugs when he saw her. He felt it all come to a peak when he met with one afternoon.

"Clark, come on in."

"Lois, what's wrong? You look like you've been crying." Clark took Lois by the shoulders and pulled her into him.

"Clark, this is really hard for me but I think that we should see a little less of each other... I mean, we know that we're in love but I think our seeing each other is getting in the way."

Clark looked strangely at Lois, not believing what he heard. "Lois, it's getting in the way of what? We date, but we've been working together over the last couple of months too."

Lois paced in front of Clark, trying not to listen to his voice of reason. Lois blurted out in response, "But I didn't think that this summer would include me getting involved with anyone. It's just too complicated."

Clark looked worried as he saw Lois walk further across the room from him toward the door. "Weren't we having fun? I didn't think that were any strings attached." Clark got up and tried to move toward Lois.

Seeing him moving toward her, she backed away and paced again across the room. "Look, you may not have any problems here but I'm really getting confused. I have never been the kind that wanted to get involved but you have some power over me that I don't understand. Anyway, you're going back to Kansas in a week and I'm moving up. I graduate in two weeks. And on top of that, we're a couple of years apart. The general doesn't approve."

"I thought you told me you didn't care what the general thought? Lois, what are you saying," Shoving his hands in his packets, Clark looked at the floor, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"I think we should break this off. It was just for the summer."

"Lois, you're worried about finals. This will go away if you just..." Lois walked over to the door and waited for him to approach her. "Lois, you're not serious."

Wiping her face once more, she looked straight into his eyes like she was piercing him in the chest as the words rolled from her tongue. "Clark, I'll see you in class tomorrow." Lois pulled the door open. Clark shook his head, rubbed her cheek, and kissed her on the way out the door. He could feel her tears on his hand.

Turning around toward Lois before walking out Clark responded to the tears, "I'm not giving up on this." He turned and walked out while Lois watched from the window, this time walking out of her life.

Clark got back to the dorm and called home. He had always been secretly called a momma's boy, but felt the name was true.

"Mom, it's Clark. Lois thinks I'm a distraction."

"Clark, do you want to come home?"

"I have to handle it until graduation. Lucy already asked me to see Lois. I don't think she broke it off even though she's telling herself she did. Mom, I love her. I'd give up 'everything' for her."

"You mean never use your powers you have been possessed with because of a girl. Clark, we have talked about you developing into this person that can give so much for the world."

"Mom, I love her." He could almost hear what his mother wanted to say, wanting to plead with him to think it over and not be foolish so young in his lifetime.

"Clark, just don't get hurt. This is completely different than high school and the feelings are different too. All the superpowers in the world won't cure a broken heart."

"I know. I have to go. I have a class." Clark hung up the phone and sighed. He picked up his books and left. He couldn't think of anything but Lois for the rest of the day. When he got back to his room, he checked his new answer machine...nothing. He had hoped that Lois would have changed her mind. He turned on the radio and lay down on the bed staring at the dresser. Her birthday was this coming weekend; he had planned a huge night for the both of them. She had even planned on staying over with him, but now all of this was gone. He walked over and picked up the card. Something touching but no mushy. He sat and stared at the words - I Love You - written on it. What did that matter now? Staring at the card, his mind wandered.

What did I do wrong? Why is it that everyone that I ever fall for leaves me? Am I just destined to live alone? I should have never pushed Lana away. And Chloe – now Lois.

Clark sat a moment more and then wadded it up. Throwing it at the wall, he threw it hard enough to leave a dent in the wall. He felt like weakling now that half of his life was gone.

On the other side of campus, Lois stared blankly at a computer screen. She hadn't noticed that she had been typing until a woman asked if she needed help. Lois looked at the screen, which was scrolling Clark over and over as her fingers moved quickly over the keys. She almost laughed and then remembered what she had done earlier that day. She saved her program and then left, walking past the pizza place where they first went. She got in her car and sat. She started toward home and started crying. "Why am I crying - we weren't married or anything. It was just a summer thing." She got home and slammed the door behind her loud enough to bring Lucy downstairs.

"Bad day?"

"No. Not really. Oh, I just broke up with Clark." Lois quickly exited to the kitchen, but Lucy was right behind her.

"What?! Why?!"

"Don't start with me little sister. Look, I have important things going up and don't need the extra problems in my life."

"You are just fooling yourself." Lois turned and walked out of the kitchen furious at her sister. "UUmmph. What the?" Lois picked up a ragged piece of paper that was on the floor that made her slip. Lucy was now looking over her shoulder.

"What is it?"

Lois opened the crumpled paper and saw it was a birthday card. The words - I Love You - felt like a thousand knives in her heart. "It's my birthday card from Clark. My last little reminder of him. I guess he slipped it in when I got home." Lois threw the card back on the floor and started upstairs.

"You're just fooling yourself." Lucy followed her upstairs. "LOIS - YOU ARE THE MOST STUBBORN WOMAN I HAVE EVER MET!!"

"I know I am..." Lois whispered to herself as she took a bottle of aspirin out of the cabinet. She looked over at the picture of Clark and her at the restaurant his friend owned - they were so happy.

It's for the best, she thought as she dropped the glass of water she had poured on the floor and stood in the puddle. She sunk down on the ground to pick up the glass and cut herself. "Damn you Clark Kent," she said to herself as she started sucking on her bleeding finger.